Women, Nutrition & Healthy Babies

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With Mother's Day coming up on Sunday, registered dietitian Cathy Moore wanted to discuss the special nutritional needs relating to motherhood.

She says what a mother eats long before that baby is even conceived can have a lasting impact on the baby's health.

Moore appeared on 7 News at Noon on Friday to discuss the following information:

- Toxins in food or carried by mothers can negatively impact their baby's wellbeing. Women need to avoid contact with lead, other heavy metals, toxic chemicals, alcohol and drugs long before they ever think about getting pregnant.

- Certain nutrients are important to support pregnancy but other nutrients like folate are key to cell division immediately upon conception so women need to be well nourished before pregnancy.

- Food safety is very important to a healthy pregnancy. Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis which can cause miscarriage.

- Good nutrition during pregnancy is critical. We are learning more about how eating healthy foods impacts the growing baby. Eating apples during pregnancy may reduce the risk of asthma in the child and fish during pregnancy may protect against eczema.

- Calories eaten during pregnancy may impact weight trends of the child later in adulthood.